After years of speculation and teasing, rapper and hip-hop artist Swae Lee dropped his first solo studio album, “SAME DIFFERENCE,” on April 3, after more than a decade since the start of his music career. Lee first teased the project in 2020, then called “Human Nature.” The rapper is best known for his melodic, high-pitched vocals and his features on chart-topping hits like “Sunflower” and “SICKO MODE.” This album marks Lee’s departure from his musical features and participation in hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd to establish himself as an independent artist.
Although known for being more melodic, Lee did not shy away from experimenting with a more aggressive trap sound in “SAME DIFFERENCE.” This new style works well on tracks like “FLAMMABLE” and “SNEAKIER,” where aggressive hi-hats and synths are paired well with Lee’s high-pitched voice that stands out from the overbearing instrumentals. As the album progresses, Lee continues to demonstrate versatility by experimenting with afrobeats on “FAV / ANNA.” However, his efforts could have yielded a more fruitful outcome had he chosen to feature artists more experienced in the genre.
While some tracks may lack the right feature, some could do without one. “NO CALL NO SHOW” somehow drones on for five minutes with NAV delivering some of the most boring, repetitive verses, straight from 2018: “Go to bed, still gettin’ paid, ain’t losin’ no sleep ’bout a h-,” making listeners wish he had been serious about retiring in 2019. The song was a missed opportunity to feature Young Thug or Gunna, whose high energy and aggressive beats could have elevated the track. However, “MURAL” greatly benefits from featuring R&B artist Jhené Aiko, whose signature smooth and delicate vocals complement Lee’s reverb-heavy sound. The two have created three songs together over eight years, and their longstanding experience with each other — along with the song’s exploration of complex relationship dynamics — elevates “MURAL” to a standout track on the album.
However, throughout the majority of the album, Lee disappointingly falls into the territory of generic rap, where he brags about his “GI-certified diamonds” and Alexander McQueen shoes. In “DON’T EVEN CALL,” Lee once again shallowly raps about his sex life, without any real insight into his emotions, saying “Way too cool on my neck, it’s a flood / Half full, grab the cup like a mug / Wanna miss that date, but she still had to do it.” This project should be more introspective and say something more meaningful, rather than the same generic slop pushed out by hundreds of other rappers.
Toward the end of the album, Lee begins to deliver — but it’s a bit too late. On track 13, “RAISING AWARENESS,” he finally embraces his emotions, rapping, “I wanna die with memories, not dreams / We all have our fair share / Of things that never came to be.” He then begins to dig into his troubles of separating himself from someone he loved due to his mental health struggles on “VIOLET.” The highly anticipated final track, “TAKE MY HEART,” featuring Post Malone, further emphasizes Lee’s heartbreak. Post Malone brings a weight of sorrow with his raspy, intimate style singing, “Take my heart and put it somewhere safe / Take my heart and store it in a cold, dry place.” Lee, on the other hand, fails to bring the same impact with his squeakier voice.
Although experimentation is praiseworthy because of its novelty and influence, “SAME DIFFERENCE” illuminates the problem that arises when a feature artist attempts a solo project. Instead of reaching for introspective and emotional themes to define his own personal style, Lee’s overuse of unsubstantial lyrics makes the album an uninteresting addition to his discography. The tracks where he leans into his signature reverb-heavy melodic style excel at pushing their message across by avoiding clichés. “SAME DIFFERENCE” showed flashes of Lee’s potential to be widely recognized as a compelling solo artist with emotional depth — but he needs to do that from track one, not track 13.
